Issue or transaction tracking by using presence information and instant messaging

Abstract

A presentity is used to represent and report states of an issue or a transaction. The issue or the transaction is an intangible (an incorporeal, non-physical) entity. The presentity for the issue or the transaction is created, a state of the issue or the transaction received from a handler of the issue or the transaction is registered in the presentity, and the registered state is reported to watchers of the presentity. Preferably, a handler registers with the presentity as a proxy for the issue or the transaction, and messages sent to the presentity are forwarded to the handler who is the registered proxy. If the issue or the transaction comprises a plurality of entities, preferably a separate presentity for each one of the entities, as well as for the issue or the transaction as a whole, is created and used.

1 . A method comprising:
 creating a presentity for an issue or a transaction;   receiving a state of the issue or the transaction from a handler of the issue or the transaction;   registering the state in the presentity; and   reporting the registered state to watchers of the presentity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the issue or the transaction is an intangible entity.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the issue or the transaction comprises a plurality of entities;   creating comprises   creating a separate presentity for each one of the entities, and   creating a separate presentity for the issue or the transaction as a whole;   receiving comprises   receiving a state of one of the entities;   registering comprises   registering the state of the one entity in the presentity of the one entity,   determining a state of the issue or the transaction as the whole, and   registering the state of the issue or the transaction as a whole in the presentity of the issue or the transaction as the whole;   reporting comprises   reporting the state of the entity to the watchers of the presentity of the entity, and   reporting the state of the issue or the transaction as the whole to the watchers of the presentity of the issue or the transaction as a whole.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 registering the handler with the presentity as a proxy for the issue or the transaction;   sending a message to the presentity;   determining the registered proxy from the presentity; and   forwarding the message to the handler that is the registered proxy.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 the handler handing off the issue or the transaction to a second handler;   deregistering initial said handler as the proxy from the presentity; and   registering the second handler as the proxy for the issue or the transaction with the presentity.   
     
     
         6 . A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of one of  claims 1 - 5 . 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 a presence service adapted to create a presentity for an issue or a transaction, receive a state of the issue or the transaction from a handler of the issue or the transaction, register the state in the presentity, and report the registered state to watchers of the presentity.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein:
 the issue or the transaction is an intangible entity.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein:
 the issue or the transaction comprises a plurality of entities; and   the presence service is adapted to create a separate presentity for each one of the entities, create a separate presentity for the issue or the transaction as a whole, receive a state of one of the entities, register the state of the one entity in the presentity of the one entity, determine a state of the issue or the transaction as the whole, register the state of the issue or the transaction as a whole in the presentity of the issue or the transaction as the whole, report the state of the entity to the watchers of the presentity of the entity, and report the state of the issue or the transaction as the whole to the watchers of the presentity of the issue or the transaction as a whole.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein:
 the presence service is further adapted to register the handler with the presentity as a proxy for the issue or the transaction, and to respond to receipt of a message to the presentity by determining the registered proxy from the presentity and forwarding the message to the handler that is the registered proxy.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein:
 the presence service is further adapted to deregister the handler as the proxy from the presentity, and register a second handler, to whom initial said handler has handed off the issue or the transaction, as the proxy for the issue or the transaction with the presentity.